(i) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the heating and melting of a scrap bulk and, more particularly, to a method for improving energy input in heating and melting of a scrap bulk.
(ii) Description of the Related Art
The output-limiting step in the heating and melting of scrap is the transfer of energy to the scrap bulk. As a result, the melting phase may be supported, for example, by burners installed on the side walls in the case of electric arc furnaces. The transfer of heat into the scrap bulk by these burners, however, is limited since the conduction of heat through the large interstitial volume of the scrap charge is poor. The energy which can be introduced by burners is therefore limited to a max. 10% of the total energy required for scrap melting.
A known converter method for scrap melting provides for melting the scrap column from below by means of bottom nozzles that are operated with oxygen and finely divided coal. This achieves an optimal transfer of the heat of the hot combustion gases to the scrap bulk. In a variant of this method, coke is charged at the bottom of the converter before the scrap is added and the coke is then burned using oxygen. In small converters it has proven possible to convert scrap to liquid steel with this method at a coke consumption of approximately 220 kg. Additional energy is transferred to the scrap from above through combustion of the reaction gases using an oxygen jet.
In another method, a natural gas- or oil--oxygen burner is installed in the side wall immediately above the floor of the converter. This method does make possible melting of the scrap, but a considerable portion of the iron is oxidized, and the liquefied iron must be removed from the converter at a temperature just above the melting point in order to undergo post-treatment in a separate container.
European Patent 0 350 982 Al discloses a method for improving the energy input during the heating and melting of a scrap bulk. In this method, a channel is burned into the scrap bulk by a burner having the form of a lance and an oxygen lance is then inserted into the channel. This lance insertion has proven to be impossible to execute in actual practice.
In summary, one should note that in all the heretofore known methods it has not been possible to achieve a substantial transfer of energy from the combustion of fossil fuels, whether coal, oil, or natural gas, into a scrap bulk without concomitant strongly perturbing secondary reactions and with the required high thermal efficiency.
The object of the invention is the transfer of energy into a scrap bulk at high thermal efficiencies and without the appearance of perturbing secondary reactions.
The aforesaid object is achieved by a method for improving the energy input during the heating and melting of a scrap bulk in which a channel is burned into the scrap bulk and additional energy for the heating and melting of the scrap bulk is input through this channel. The channel is burned into the scrap bulk by a hot, oxygen-containing gas jet. Preferably, the oxygen gas jet is preheated to a temperature capable of producing high jet speeds such that a channel can be formed along the entire length of the scrap bulk in a short period of time.